Explain the factors that contribute to droughts in India with specific reference to food production, distribution and availability. Can Indian agricultural policies resolve the issue?
Droughts in India are recurrent climatic hazards with profound implications for food security. They result from both natural and human-induced factors.
Climatically, the erratic behavior of the southwest monsoon is the dominant cause. Delay in onset, weak monsoon phases, or early withdrawal lead to meteorological droughts. Regions like Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Karnataka are particularly vulnerable. El Niño events further intensify monsoon failure. Hydrological droughts arise from declining groundwater and reduced river flows due to over-extraction and poor watershed management. Land degradation, deforestation, and unsustainable irrigation practices aggravate the problem by reducing soil moisture retention.
The impact on food production is direct. Rainfed areas, which account for nearly 60% of cultivated land, face severe yield losses in millets, pulses, and oilseeds. In irrigated regions, groundwater depletion worsens vulnerability, as seen in Punjab and Haryana. Drought-induced crop failures disrupt distribution, straining the Public Distribution System (PDS) and increasing dependence on imports. Food availability also becomes uneven, with surpluses in irrigated belts coexisting with acute shortages in drought-hit zones.
Agricultural policies offer partial solutions. Initiatives such as the National Food Security Act, Minimum Support Prices, and PDS ensure food access during crises. Programmes promoting drought-resistant varieties, micro-irrigation, and watershed development improve resilience at the production level. However, policies remain skewed toward water-intensive crops like rice and sugarcane, which exacerbate vulnerability. Regional imbalances in procurement and storage also limit effectiveness.
In conclusion, while Indian agricultural policies address drought impacts through food distribution and safety nets, resolving the issue requires structural changes. Promoting climate-resilient crops, improving water-use efficiency, and strengthening decentralized storage and distribution systems are essential to secure food production and availability in the face of recurring droughts.
Answered By:
Why cottage industries in India are an integral part of Indian socio-economic structure? Assess this with reference to different types of cottage industries in rural India.
"The rural settlements in India are highly diversified due to both physical and cultural factors." Justify the statement with examples.
How can rural-urban fringe be delineated? Explain with suitable examples from India.
"Spatial distribution of religious groups in India does not show any specific pattern." Illustrate with arguments.
"Watershed is the most appropriate spatial unit for planning." Comment.
Is North East India a geo-political or geo-cultural region? Justify your answer.
Discuss the necessary conditions for the cultivation of fox nuts and describe the areas of its production in India.
Describe the causes of the phenomenon of 'urban heat island'. What are the effective measures to deal with this phenomenon in India?
With reference to the transport and communication network of India, critically discuss the Sagarmala project.
What are the key features of sex-ratio of population in India ? Evaluate the impacts of child sex-ratio on general sex-ratio in the country.
How will you manage a case of misplaced copper-T (Cu-T)?
Describe the embryogenesis, clinical features and principles of management of cleft palate.
Write short notes in 150 words:
Metagenesis
Write short notes in 150 words:
Book lungs
Write short notes in 150 words:
Paedomorphosis